Arctic Liquid Freezer II 360 vs DeepCool LQ360computed

Both coolers at the same heat load: what each dissipates, the coolant temperature over fan speed, and the fan speed and noise each needs for the same temperature. Calculated from radiator size, core thickness and the stock fans' datasheets, not measured.

Side by side

Arctic Liquid Freezer II 360DeepCool LQ360
Radiator360 mm360 mm
Core thickness38 mm27 mm
Stock fans3 × ARCTIC P123 × FD12 ARGB
Fan rpm, datasheet200 – 1800400 – 2050
Pump2000 rpm max3400 rpm max
Tubing450 mm410 mm
Dissipation at max rpm25.9 W/K25.8 W/K
Coolant, 250 W, 30 °C intake39.7 °C39.7 °C
Noise at max rpm, all fans–31.7 dB(A)

Coolant above intake at 250 W

0 5 10 15 20 25 0 20 40 60 80 100 % of max fan rpm LQ360 Liquid Freezer II 360 K coolant above intake, 250 W

Noise, all stock fans

No noise rating for one of the stock fans in the data.

At the same coolant temperature, 250 W

K above intakeLiquid Freezer II 360 rpmdB(A)LQ360 rpmdB(A)Quieter
10.01702–194930.6
12.51173–134422.8
15.0866–99217.1
17.5670–767<15
20.0536–614<15
25.0370–423<15

The Liquid Freezer II 360 dissipates 25.9 W/K against 25.8 W/K at max fan rpm. No noise rating for one of the stock fans in the data yet, so temperature only. A cooler pinned at its fan's minimum rpm runs colder than the row asks; the comparison is then not at equal temperature.

Use it

How these numbers are computed

A radiator moves heat in proportion to the difference between coolant and incoming air: Q = q · (Tcoolant − Tair). q depends on the air actually passing through the core. Airflow per fan is CFMmax · derate · rpm/rpmmax with the radiator derate (0.62, or 0.72 for pressure-optimized blades) times the core-thickness factor. Per 120 mm segment at 27 mm: q = 8.5 W/K · (airflow / 45 CFM)0.6; heat transfer over fins scales with roughly the 0.6 power of velocity.

CoreAirflow factorFin area factor
27 mm1.001.00
30 mm0.971.09
38 mm0.901.15
45 mm0.841.22

Thick cores gain fin area but lose airflow; at low rpm the net is close to zero. With fans off, natural convection is taken as 1 W/K per segment. The band is ±15 % on q: fin density, coolant flow and preheated case air. Pump speed matters little above roughly 1 l/min. Noise is the stock fan's curve plus 10 · log₁₀(fan count).

Air entering the radiator is case air, usually 5 to 10 K above room. Die temperatures sit above the coolant by the block and TIM delta, typically 25 to 45 K under load. Nothing here is measured; the same model runs in RadiatorTemp.